Iraq blocks Twitter, Facebook, YouTube amid growing ISIS threat

An image grab taken from a propaganda video released on March 17, 2014 by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)'s al-Furqan Media allegedly shows ISIL fighters recruiting volunteers at an undisclosed location in the Anbar province (AFP Photo)

The Iraqi government has blocked access to top social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, reportedly to hinder the activities of militants formerly associated with Al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, thousands are signing up to fight the jihadist insurgency in Iraq.

Numerous media reports citing journalists and open-internet
advocates said that internet users in Iraq are getting block
screens when trying to access top social media sites and Google.

The Kuwait News Agency cited a source in the Iraqi Ministry of
Communications who said the agency was told to block access to
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as a number of
pornographic websites.

The source did not specify why the sites were blocked, but it is
believed to be a move to thwart militants of the Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL) from posting videos and
pictures of exploits in the nation’s northern and western
regions. The group has captured major ground in those areas,
including Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq.

Hayder Hamzoz, founder of the Iraqi Network for Social Media,
spread word of the block, and Ammar Al Shahbander, the Iraq
director for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, offered a
screenshot of error messages received by users in Iraq.

"We are disturbed by reports of access issues in Iraq and are
investigating," a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable.
"Limiting access to internet services – essential for
communication and commerce for millions of people – is a matter
of concern for the global community."

Twitter and YouTube spokespersons said the companies are looking
into the reports.

YouTube spokesperson on Iraq outage: "There is no technical
issue on our side and we’re looking into the situation."
#insm_iq

Meanwhile, thousands of Iraqi civilians are signing up to fight
ISIS – Sunni Arab jihadists that also have a major presence in
neighboring Syria. ISIS has handily beaten Iraqi security forces
in their advance through the nation, leading Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki to announce that civilians would be armed for an
offensive against militants.

The volunteer effort received a boost from words of encouragement
from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a top Shiite cleric adored
across Iraq.

"Citizens who are able to bear arms and fight terrorists,
defending their country and their people and their holy places,
should volunteer and join the security forces to achieve this
holy purpose," Sistani's representative announced for the
cleric.

"He who sacrifices for the cause of defending his country and
his family and his honour will be a martyr," he added.